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The Big Thaw
"The Big Thaw" is the fourth episode of Miami Vice's fourth season. The episode premiered on October 23, 1987. Summary Two groups battle over possession of a dead reggae singer's frozen body, with Izzy caught in the middle. Plot Crockett, Tubbs & Switek raid a decrepit nursing home thinking there's a drug lab, when it turns out they have the body of Robillard Nevin, recently deceased reggae singer, frozen in a case. They bring the cryogenic case back to OCB (which is having major air conditioning problems) and Castillo orders everyone not part of OCB out until a judge reviews the case later, including the caretaker of his body, Dave Frobel (Bill Raymond). Crockett & Tubbs check with the location where they found Nevin's body where they said he died of food poisoning, and was frozen to be reanimated when they found an antidote, courtesy of Dr. Poe, which was done, and now they want his body back to cure him, but they will not get the body until it's proven that the body belongs to them. At OCB Nevin's widow Esther Nevin (Seret Scott) and her attorney (Alfred Molina) want Nevin's body back because she is promised a $30 million estate. Dr. Poe dies of the same poisoning that Nevin did, and he's also the one that could bring Nevin back. Now Frobel plans to bring him back himself. Gina & Trudy are checking on James Davis, one of Nevin's band members, they go to his house and find all of Nevin's children, none of which were with his wife, and Davis said that Nevin would call Poe anytime he coughed funny, got on a plane and never came back. Crockett & Tubbs are at an outside food stand when Switek calls to inform them Esther and her attorney got a federal court order to claim the body and also a TRO to prevent Frobel from going near the body. Trudy found Esther stands to gain a $30 million estate if his body is found and buried so a death certificate is issued by Jamaica. Castillo orders the body turned over to Esther, but when Switek goes to retrieve it, the body is gone, and the case it's in, all that remains is a small puddle where it was. With OCB in a mess, compounded by the air conditioning repairs and a group of people there to see Nevin, Castillo gets a call from the police commissioner that Esther has filed two lawsuits for misappropriation of Nevin's body and violation of his civil rights, a total of $80 million. Esther shows up at Frobel's place, gun drawn, wanting Nevin's body, then she shoots him down while Izzy is on the phone talking to him, then a TV report mentions speaking with the scientist that will revive Nevin. It turns out Izzy has the body and plans to revive it, and Esther plans to take it back, and if the lawyer or Izzy resist, they will be shot. Izzy is speaking with a number of Japanese scientists at an outside location with the thaw to take place, arranging for money when the body is thawed, and the Japanese want the band members present at the thawing. When Izzy goes to get them, Esther is waiting for Izzy. The Vice team begin a search for Izzy and the body, but Esther has brought everyone together at the thawing site. Crockett finds where Izzy is and distracts her by driving their boat by them and the body ends up in the water, as well as Esther's gun. Crockett & Tubbs, reluctantly, decide to intervene and arrest Esther on the murder of Frobel. Nevin's body, still in the case, ends up floating in the ocean. Cast *Don Johnson as Metro-Dade Detective James "Sonny" Crockett *Philip Michael Thomas as Metro-Dade Detective Ricardo "Rico" Tubbs *Saundra Santiago as Metro-Dade Detective Gina Calabrese *Michael Talbott as Metro-Dade Detective Stan Switek *Olivia Brown as Metro-Dade Detective Trudy Joplin *Edward James Olmos as Metro-Dade Lieutenant Martin "Marty" Castillo Guest Stars *Bill Raymond as Dave Frobel *Martin Ferrero as Izzy Moreno *Seret Scott as Esther Nevin *Alfred Molina as Esther's Attorney Co-Starring *Alston Bair as James Davis *Christopher Brown as Simmers *Damian Chuck as Nakahara *Herb Goldstein as Dr. Alfred S. Poe *Courtney Griffiths as Sled *Raycell Long as Robillard Nevin *Kimio Sato as Toyama Notes *This is one of two episodes ("Missing Hours" is the other) where Miami Vice borders on science fiction. In 1987 no such cryogenic technology existed. Currently it does, but only in experimental form. *A recurring fourth season theme is OCB handling cases outside their normal jurisdiction, such as this case, the cow semen in "The Cows of October", and the mysterious spacecraft in "Missing Hours". Music *"What Is Life?" by Black Uhuru (during video of Niven and end sequence with Nevin's body ending up in the ocean) *"Mi Vieja" by Fernando Echevarria y LaFamilia Andres (playing at Brown's house) *"Wake Up And Live" by Bob Marley & the Wailers (Crockett & Tubbs driving) Quotes *"Nevin's body is fly food, also not smelling so good!" -- Tubbs after hearing Esther got a court order for Nevin's body Category:Miami Vice Season 4 Episodes